Means for concentrating ores anhydrously.



No. 655,497. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

S. M. LISSAU.

MEANS FOR CONCENTBATING OBES ANHYDRDUSLY.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Aug. 7, I900.

8. M. LISSAU.

MEANS FOR CONCENTRATING ORES ANHYDBOUSLY.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.)

2 SheetsSheet 2 (No Model.)

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL MARION LISSAU, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR CONCENTRATING ORES ANHYDROUSLY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 655,497, dated August '7, 1900.

Original application filed April 17, 1899, Serial No. 713,249. Divided and this application filed January 5, 1900. Serial No. 526. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MARION LIS- SAU, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Concentrating Ores Anhydrously, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom panying drawings.

The present application is a division of my application, Serial No. 713,249, dated April 17, 1899, and relates to means designed to carry out the process disclosed in said prior application.

My invention is addressed to the elimina tion of the bulk of the worthless matter from comminuted material, such as sand or crushed ore containing valuable metal. The simplest means hitherto devised forthe purpose specified necessitates the use of a large volume of water as a vehicle to remove the lighter portion of the material treated, and in some instances the action of the water is supplemented by the use of mercury in one form or another to retain the metallic particles by combination therewith. WVith the ordinary means of concentrating, employing water as aforesaid, if the raw material to be treated be located in an arid district it must be transported to some locality where asupply of water may be had, and if the percentage of valuable metal does not warrant the expense of transportation of the accompanying large percentage of worthless material the raw material cannot be worked at a profit.

My present invention provides means whereby comminuted ore or sand containing valuable metal may be concentrated by the elimination of the bulk of its Worthless particles without the use of any water whatever. The advantages of my improvements are evident in their adaptation to mining in arid districts containing ores of such low grade as hitherto could not be mined profitably. For instance, ore containing a very small percentage of flour-gold may be concentrated at the mine at such slight expense as to permit the transportation of the concentrated product and the subsequent profitable recovery of the precious metal therefrom by reduction in a more favorable locality.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a convenient embodiment of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

In said figures, A is a drum mounted for rotation upon the rollers B and O, which, as indicated in Fig. 2, exist in pairs at opposite sides of the drum, respectively coupled by shafts B and C and mounted for rotation in housings upon the frame E. Said drum is provided with peripheral teeth A for engagement with the driving-gear D, the latter being fixed upon the shaft 13 intermediate of the rollers B. Said shaft B extends beyond the frame E and is provided with a bandwheel F, whereby the gear D and shaft 13 may be conveniently rotated and the drum A revolved upon the rollers B G aforesaid.

The apparatus which I have shown is adapted for continuous operation, the material to be concentrated being supplied thereto by the hopper G and chute G and the waste material being discharged therefrom through the hopper H and chute H. As hereinafter described, the concentrated product is retained within the drum.

As shown in Fig. 2, the periphery of the drum A is formed in a double series of conical zones at a? a of, increasing in diameter toward the central zone a. Each of the zones a to a is provided with radial blades a the function of which is to continuously stir the material Within the drum during the rotation of the latter.

The central zone a is provided With inclined blades a a", and,as hereinafter described, the blades o constitute carrying-buckets and the blades a act as deflectors or guards for the same.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The raw material X is introduced through the hopper G and chute G in such quantity as to continuously fill the drum to about one-fourth of its depth. Said material consists of various particles of differing specific gravity, the heavier portion thereof being the precious metal which is to be ultimately recovered. The drum A, filled to the depth indicated, is then continuously rotated in the direction of the arrow shown upon Fig. 1. Said rotation causes the mass of material within the drum to slope at an angle dependent upon the rate of rotation of the drum and substantially that indicated. The effect of the continuous agitation of the mass by the blades is to permit the heavier particles Z to freely gravitate to the bottom of the drum, so that the upper strata of the mass consists entirely of the worthless light-weight particles, which shift continuously down the slope to the point marked J.

It is to be understood that the blades a serve merely to agitate the material X, being so proportioned and arranged as to permit any material thereby engaged to fall back within the drum before reaching the hopper H, as indicated on the left-hand side of Fig. 1. The central blades a are, however, so inclined that the worthless material Y is received therein at the point J, (indicated upon Fig. 1,) carried through the entire mass beneath the precipitated precious metal Z, and being retained by each of said blades a is elevated, as indicated upon the left-hand side of said figure, dropped within the hopper H, and discharged through the chute I-I thereof.

The foregoing comprises the operation of my invention, whereby the raw material receivedwithin the drum A through the hopper G has the Worthless material separated from it and discharged through the hopper H and chute II, so that the concentrated product Z is retained within the drum A. It is to be understood that the buckets a are filled upon each revolution of the drum A by whatever material is presented at the top of the mass X at the point J, and during their traverse beneath the mass said buckets retain the material taken as aforesaid from the top thereof until they deposit it within the hopper H. Therefore as a matter of economy the material discharged from the drum at the chute Y at the beginning of the operation may be returned to the drum through the hopper G, for the reason that the buckets are originally filled with unconcentrated material X, containing a percentage of valuable metal.

Of course in the continuous operation the precious material Z, beneath which the worthless materialY passes to discharge, continues to increase in depth within the drum A; but no portion thereof can at any time be discharged from the drum until it increases in depth to the level of the point J, where the buckets a are filled, for the reason that said buckets are filled, as aforesaid, with the lighter worthless material, and therefore cannot take up any of the material beneath which they subsequently pass.

With a low-grade raw material containing, for instance, a small percentage of flour-gold a period of many days may elapse during the continuous operation of concentration before said level J is' reached. WVheu, however, it becomes necessary to remove the concentrated product, the inflow of the raw material is stopped and the concentrated product may be conveniently discharged through the hopthe, which are well known in this art.

per H and chute H by the rotation of the drum.

I have found it desirable to deposit the incoming raw material X at a point as far from the point of take up J as the dimensions of the apparatus will permit, and in order to adjust the point of deposit I find it convenient to adapt the chute G forboth radial and circumferential adjustment. As an indication of means whereby said adjustment may be secured, I have shown the hopper Gslotted at g and hung upon the stud g, to which it is secured by the nut 9 It is to be understood that said hopper may be adjusted radially or circumferentially when said nut is loosened and be secured at any point desired by tightening the same.

I am aware that the apparatus which I have described resembles in many particulars the rotary sieves, ama-lgamating-barrels,washIers,

t is to be noted, therefore, that my present invention is differentiated from the disclosures of the prior art by several peculiar characteristics, as follows: In a rotary sieve the separation of the material is dependent upon the relativesize of its composite particles. In my present invention the separationis wholly dependent upon the relative specific gravity of the particles. In an amalgamating-barrel the gold is separated by so-called chemical combination with mercury. In my present invention no chemical combinationisetfected, but the separating action is Wholly mechan ical. In a washer the operation is dependent upon the supply of a sufficient current of water to float and remove the lighter portions of the material treated, and without such a water-supply the washer is wholly inoperative. In my present invention no water is employed, the lighter particles being removed mechanically, as described.

I do not desire to limit myself to the employment of the precise construction shown, as it is obvious that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. In an apparatus for anhydrously concentrating comminuted material containing precious metal, the combination with means to revolve a drum, of a drum, means arranged to deliver said comminuted material in a dry condition, to said drum, during the operation of the latter, means arranged to continuously agitate a mass of said concentrated material in a dry condition, within said drum, means to retain the concentrated product at the bottom of said mass within said drum, buckets arranged to remove the lighter waste material in a dry condition, from the upper strata of said mass, through the latter, and beneath the concentrated product retained at the bottom thereof, and means cooperative with said buckets to discharge said waste material from said drum, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for anhydrously concentratingcomminuted material containing precious metal, the combination with means to revolve a drum, of a drum whose periphery comprises concentric zones of differing diameters, means arranged to continuously agitate a mass of said comminuted material in a dry condition, within said-drum, buckets fixed in said drum in'the largest zone thereof, and arranged to remove the lighter waste material, in a dry condition, from the upper strata of said mass, through the latter, and beneath the concentrated product retained at the bottom thereof, and means cooperative with said buckets to discharge said waste material from said drum, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for anhydrously concentrating comminuted material containing precious metal, the combination with means to revolve a drum, of a drum, whose periphery comprises concentric zones of differing diameters, agitating-blades fixed in the smaller zones of said drum,buckets fixed in the largest zone of said drum, and arranged to remove the lighter waste material, in a dry condition,

from the upper strata of said mass, through the latter, and beneath the concentrated product retained at the bottom thereof, and means cooperative with said buckets to discharge said waste material from said drum, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for anhydrouslyconcentrating comminuted material containing precious metal,the combination of a drum, means for rotating said drum, means arranged to deliver said comminuted material in a dry condition, to said drum, during the operation of the latter, means within the drum for agitating and stratifying the material during rotation, said means being arranged to remove. 

